CPC Shows and Tells Its Plans for Domino

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This morning CPC Resources head Michael Lappin gave an on-site press conference about the affordable housing group’s plans for the Domino Sugar factory on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg. The two renderings flanking the podium show the preserved refinery building surrounded by forty or so modular buildings and a swath of public waterfront greenspace. The master plan, developed by Vinoly Architects, calls for 2,200 apartments (660 of which will be affordable) as well as 120,000 square feet of retail space and another 100,00 square feet of community space. (The specific tenants have not been decided but Lappin mentioned that part of the community space will likely be devoted to local artists.) The entire project is expected to take between 6 and 8 years to complete, Lappin said, and cost in the neighborhood of $1.2 to $1.3 billion. Work will progress in stages, most likely working from south to north; the first piece to be developed will be the lot on the other side of Kent Avenue. Because of its proportions and configuration, the refinery building will basically be hollowed out and rebuilt on the inside. (Beyer Blinder Belle will be overseeing this piece of the project.) Half of the 660 units of affordable housing will be offered in a lottery to residents within Community Board 1 and half will be open to a city-wide lottery. Lappin stated that it was their intention to build the affordable units first. Noting the problems with public transportation in the area, Lappin announced that they would be building a water taxi pier in Grand Ferry Park at the north end of the property. As for a timetable, there’s a scoping session on July 31 after which point they hope to have certification by late fall or early winter; next comes the seven-month ULURP process followed by approvals from the community board, borough president and city council. Best guess for a ground-breaking: Late 2008 or early 2009. And what about the Domino Sugar sign? The architect from Vinoly’s office said that no decision had been made about whether to preserve and/or integrate it into the project. Close-ups of the two renderings (as well as some shots of the site which has been closed to the public for over 100 years) are on the jump.
Plans for ‘New Domino’ Released by City Planning [Brownstoner] GMAP

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